Canaan Morse 莫楷
@canaanmorse.bsky.social
Assistant Prof (Teaching) @UVA 明清文学
Charlottesville, VA
The long and unruly Chinese 17th century
‘21 National Book Award Finalist
scholar poet translator farm boy
Charlottesville, VA
The long and unruly Chinese 17th century
‘21 National Book Award Finalist
scholar poet translator farm boy
Pinned
Recent Fellows
www.acls.org
A small win after a long and difficult year: I won some money from ACLS to pursue a project I’m really, really excited about. Headed to China, Germany, Chicago, and New York next year!
www.acls.org/recent-fello...
www.acls.org/recent-fello...
“But, but, but—l’etát c’est moi!” protested Louis XIV, as sewage erupted from every toilet at Versailles and the room collapsed around him
The first architect of the White House ballroom resigned after warning repeatedly that Trump was insisting on designs that violated fire and safety codes, the Washington Post reports.
“I am the code,” Trump said www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
“I am the code,” Trump said www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
September 24, 2026 at 7:55 PM
“But, but, but—l’etát c’est moi!” protested Louis XIV, as sewage erupted from every toilet at Versailles and the room collapsed around him
Millennial: I didn’t know Jupiter was made of glass
the drops fell like bits of broken glass on the water
September 24, 2026 at 2:50 PM
Millennial: I didn’t know Jupiter was made of glass
Literally the only upside to a 400-mile weekly commute
September 23, 2026 at 9:44 PM
Literally the only upside to a 400-mile weekly commute
Sheesh I put down this snarky post and walk off to teach my classes, and I come back to a grown-ass thread about Calvon & Hobbes in Chinese
Calvin predicts academic prose
September 23, 2026 at 7:51 PM
Sheesh I put down this snarky post and walk off to teach my classes, and I come back to a grown-ass thread about Calvon & Hobbes in Chinese
Calvin predicts academic prose
September 23, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Calvin predicts academic prose
I have plenty of food-related gripes, but my most central food *opinion* is, “Double the sauce, double the garlic.”
Gimme a food opinion.
I have never found anything cooked En Croute appealing.
I have never found anything cooked En Croute appealing.
September 22, 2026 at 2:08 PM
I have plenty of food-related gripes, but my most central food *opinion* is, “Double the sauce, double the garlic.”
Hmmm. How about I insinuate what I think via this 50-act play in which I look into a mirror, then step into the mirror, then **gasp** STEP BACK OUT AGAIN
Followed by performative suicide so you know I’m serious
Snarky colophon to be appended by @bokane.org
Followed by performative suicide so you know I’m serious
Snarky colophon to be appended by @bokane.org
We're going the wrong direction. I want to hear what you nerds think about Great Ming.
So I see in the last 48 hours we've moved from Qing discourse to Mao discourse.
I miss Qing discourse.
I miss Qing discourse.
September 21, 2026 at 9:45 PM
Hmmm. How about I insinuate what I think via this 50-act play in which I look into a mirror, then step into the mirror, then **gasp** STEP BACK OUT AGAIN
Followed by performative suicide so you know I’m serious
Snarky colophon to be appended by @bokane.org
Followed by performative suicide so you know I’m serious
Snarky colophon to be appended by @bokane.org
I taught three classes today, then pushed through brain-death to do two hours of grading.
And you know what? I really like this fit, so I’m going to Maggie’s for a drink and some pot pie. This day has knocked in its brass nail.
And you know what? I really like this fit, so I’m going to Maggie’s for a drink and some pot pie. This day has knocked in its brass nail.
September 21, 2026 at 9:28 PM
I taught three classes today, then pushed through brain-death to do two hours of grading.
And you know what? I really like this fit, so I’m going to Maggie’s for a drink and some pot pie. This day has knocked in its brass nail.
And you know what? I really like this fit, so I’m going to Maggie’s for a drink and some pot pie. This day has knocked in its brass nail.
My niece just hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in exactly six months.
(For comparison: I have spent the entire afternoon fighting one page of a cover letter.)
(For comparison: I have spent the entire afternoon fighting one page of a cover letter.)
September 18, 2026 at 9:22 PM
My niece just hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in exactly six months.
(For comparison: I have spent the entire afternoon fighting one page of a cover letter.)
(For comparison: I have spent the entire afternoon fighting one page of a cover letter.)
I know, I know, the smoke alarm in this kitchen is “supposed to work.” But being able to toast a croissant the way I like it without having to evacuate under an air-raid siren is so nice.
September 18, 2026 at 6:08 PM
I know, I know, the smoke alarm in this kitchen is “supposed to work.” But being able to toast a croissant the way I like it without having to evacuate under an air-raid siren is so nice.
Sigh. I see I logged on in the middle of another “China never did real imperialism” discourse.
*logs back off*
*logs back off*
September 18, 2026 at 3:37 AM
Sigh. I see I logged on in the middle of another “China never did real imperialism” discourse.
*logs back off*
*logs back off*
As we used to recite on stage:
空树藏孔
孔入窟窿
窟窿孔
孔出窟窿
窟窿空
空树藏孔
孔入窟窿
窟窿孔
孔出窟窿
窟窿空
September 17, 2026 at 5:59 PM
As we used to recite on stage:
空树藏孔
孔入窟窿
窟窿孔
孔出窟窿
窟窿空
空树藏孔
孔入窟窿
窟窿孔
孔出窟窿
窟窿空
Probably a mix of both. He’d probably take some really &$@:king fundamental lessons away from it, though, I would hope.
Would 20 y/o you be impressed or disappointed by you today?
September 17, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Probably a mix of both. He’d probably take some really &$@:king fundamental lessons away from it, though, I would hope.
No.
"Her Thoreau-like account of journeys in the woods, published when she was 28, was the first of many ruminations on life and nature, good and evil."
#BookSky
#Books
#Writing
(Gift Article)
#BookSky
#Books
#Writing
(Gift Article)
Annie Dillard, Meditative Author of ‘Pilgrim at Tinker Creek,’ Dies at 81 (Gift Article)
Her Thoreau-like account of journeys in the woods, published when she was 28, was the first of many ruminations on life and nature, good and evil.
www.nytimes.com
September 16, 2026 at 2:10 PM
No.
Reposted by Canaan Morse 莫楷
Colleges could subsidize books for students rather than paying for premium versions of ChatGPT
September 15, 2026 at 1:38 PM
Colleges could subsidize books for students rather than paying for premium versions of ChatGPT
Methinks the doughy white boy with bed head doth protest too much
September 16, 2026 at 3:39 AM
Methinks the doughy white boy with bed head doth protest too much
I remember my own experience of reading this sonnet in high school; then of looking at my parents’ 37-year marriage; then loving several imperfect but wonderful people; then experiencing other narratives of unglamorous, love-handley, ultra- durable love…and I’ve quoted its tender humor ever since.
It’s this one!
September 15, 2026 at 7:24 PM
I remember my own experience of reading this sonnet in high school; then of looking at my parents’ 37-year marriage; then loving several imperfect but wonderful people; then experiencing other narratives of unglamorous, love-handley, ultra- durable love…and I’ve quoted its tender humor ever since.
Reposted by Canaan Morse 莫楷
IMO, we need a wholesale revaluation of faculty scholarship, like they do with currency, because the amount of scholarship expected of job candidates is also out of whack. Whether this is a back-formation from the tenure book IDK, but essentially needing a completed ms for hiring isn't good either.
A book should NOT be req'd for tenure--esp now w/ the inordinate pressures on peer review. It puts untenable demands on scholars & publishers AND enables tenure committees to shirk their duty & blame presses for killing jobs/careers instead of actually engaging scholars' work. It's infuriating.
September 15, 2026 at 6:46 PM
IMO, we need a wholesale revaluation of faculty scholarship, like they do with currency, because the amount of scholarship expected of job candidates is also out of whack. Whether this is a back-formation from the tenure book IDK, but essentially needing a completed ms for hiring isn't good either.
You know, I got to this university two years ago after a moment of bitter disappointment, and I promised myself I would not get attached. But dangit
September 15, 2026 at 7:02 PM
You know, I got to this university two years ago after a moment of bitter disappointment, and I promised myself I would not get attached. But dangit
Just took my freshman Engagements class to visit UVA’s Tibetan book collection and listen to Nawang Thokmey, the incredible research librarian who curates it, and who had set out BEAUTIFUL tables of pecha books for us…and I forgot to take a damn picture because I’m an aging millennial.
Dammit.
Dammit.
September 14, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Just took my freshman Engagements class to visit UVA’s Tibetan book collection and listen to Nawang Thokmey, the incredible research librarian who curates it, and who had set out BEAUTIFUL tables of pecha books for us…and I forgot to take a damn picture because I’m an aging millennial.
Dammit.
Dammit.
That, dear reader, was freshman year.
September 13, 2026 at 11:13 PM
That, dear reader, was freshman year.
Drowning in rec letters.
September 13, 2026 at 8:16 PM
Drowning in rec letters.
In my private narrative universe, Wash is still alive.
September 13, 2026 at 3:46 PM
In my private narrative universe, Wash is still alive.
Reposted by Canaan Morse 莫楷
I resigned from ExxonMobil today. I spent the last three years doing fossil fuel extraction research at both BP and ExxonMobil. Neither company is acting responsibly. They are racing to maximize extraction while the window to act closes, and gambling with our lives. More below.
September 12, 2026 at 1:14 PM
I resigned from ExxonMobil today. I spent the last three years doing fossil fuel extraction research at both BP and ExxonMobil. Neither company is acting responsibly. They are racing to maximize extraction while the window to act closes, and gambling with our lives. More below.